Device for regulation of intake air in a vehicle

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the supply of intake air to a vehicle, incorporating a control unit which is arranged to indicate and initiate supply of intake air to at least three intake air regions in the vehicle which usually comprise a defroster region, a panel region and a floor region. The apparatus incorporates a control arrangement which is designed, depending on the setting of the control unit, to control dampers (15 A-C) which are situated in ducts which lead to the intake air regions. The control arrangement incorporates a cam arrangement designed to act upon an arm (14 A-C), arranged for each inlet air region, for variable setting of at least one of the dampers (15 A-C) between an open and a closed position. The cam arrangement incorporates at least two movable cam devices (11) which each incorporate an external cam surface (13) with a cam height which varies along the cam surface, and each of the arms (14 A-C) is designed, by means of a contact device (16 A-C), to bear upon and be acted upon by whichever of the cam surfaces (13) of the two cam devices (11) exhibits the larger cam height in the region of the contact device (16 A-C).

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION AND STATE OF THE ART

The invention relates to an arrangement for controlling the supply ofinlet air to a vehicle. The arrangement incorporates a control unitarranged to indicate and initiate supply of intake air to at least threeintake air regions in the vehicle, and a control arrangement which isdesigned depending on the setting of the control unit, to controldampers situated in ducts which lead to said intake air regions. Thiscontrol arrangement incorporates a cam arrangement which is designed tocontrol an arm, arranged for each intake air region, for variablesetting of at least one of said dampers between an open and a closedposition.

Ventilation arrangements in vehicles which supply intake air to threeintake air regions, which in a vehicle are usually a defroster region, apanel region and a floor region, are commonly subject to the limitationthat the intake air cannot be distributed simultaneously, and in desiredquantities, to said intake air regions.

A known ventilation arrangement according to GB 2 212 587 B incorporatesa rotatable control unit arranged to initiate and supply intake air tothree intake air regions. That control unit can only distribute intakeair to at most two regions simultaneously. The rotary motion of thecontrol unit is transmitted via a cable to a control arrangement whichincorporates a cam arrangement for controlling arms which incorporatedampers for said intake air regions. This cam arrangement incorporates acam device with three recesses for controlling the respective arms. Thisform of cam arrangement does not make it possible to eliminate theaforesaid limitation.

Another known ventilation arrangement supplying intake air to said threeintake air regions in a vehicle uses three separate control devices, onefor each intake air region. Each of these three control devices is movedindividually along its separate path and separately controls its controlarrangement in order to distribute intake air to the respective region.This control unit makes it possible for intake air to be suppliedentirely variably to said intake air regions. It has disadvantages inthat it occupies a large amount of space on the instrument panel andinvolves three separate control arrangements.

In heavy-duty vehicles it is often desirable to keep down the number ofelectronically controlled components, so the present invention relatesto a mechanical arrangement for controlling the intake air supply in thevehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide, for supplying intakeair to a vehicle, an arrangement of the kind mentioned in theintroduction which makes it possible for intake air to be suppliedsimultaneously with a desired distribution to said three intake airregions.

This object is achieved by the arrangement in the vechile housingindicated in the introduction which is characterised in that the camarrangement incorporates at least two movable cam devices eachincorporating an external cam surface with a cam height which variesalong the cam surface, while each of said arms is designed, via acontact device, to bear upon and be acted upon by whichever of the camsurfaces of the two cam devices exhibits the greater cam height in theregion of the contact device. The fact that two movable cam devices areused thus makes it possible to supply and distribute intake air to threedifferent intake air regions in any desired manner.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said camdevices are substantially identical in form and movable independently ofone another. At the same time, it may for reasons of space be practicalfor said cam devices to be arranged to be rotatable about a commonspindle. The cam devices may also consist of two cam discs arranged inparallel.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, each ofthe arms is arranged so that, via the contact device, it bears flexiblyon said cam surface. This enables the contact device to be raised fromwhichever of the cam surfaces of the cam device has the smaller camheight, while at the same time the contact device will only bear uponand be acted upon by whichever cam device exhibits the greater camheight in the region of the contact device. This flexibility of the armswhile a simultaneous force bears upon the cam surfaces may be achievedby the arms being arranged to bear resiliently upon said cam surface viaspring devices. Such spring devices may be suitably arranged to extendbetween the arms and the cam arrangement, preferably with a first end ofsuch a spring device being arranged on one of the arms in the vicinityof the latter's contact device, and another end being arranged on thespindle of the cam device.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the contact devices extendacross the surface of each cam device substantially transverse to thedirection of movement of the cam devices. At the same time, the contactdevice may take the form of a steel element extending between said twocam devices. Low-friction contact between the contact device and the camsurface may be achieved by the contact device incorporating a rollerdevice. Alternatively, the contact device may incorporate a material orcoating with such characteristics as to slide rather frictionlessly oversaid cam surface.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, each of said armsincorporates first and second end portions and the contact device isarranged between these end portions. At least one out of the first andsecond end portions of the arms may in that case be connected to adamperer variable setting of the latter. As intake air is usuallysupplied via at least two intake air ducts to each intake air region,e.g. to the right and to the left of the panel region, two dampers mayin that case be controlled synchronously by the same arm.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said controlunit incorporates separate control devices for operating the respectivecam devices. This means that the respective cam devices can becontrolled and set individually to achieve a desired intake air supply.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a control unit suitable for initiating the operation of acontrol arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a cable device for transmitting rotary motion of thecontrol unit in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a control arrangement according to the invention forsupplying air to three intake air regions in a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts a control unit for a ventilation arrangement in avehicle. The control unit incorporates a first control device 1 and asecond control device air which are designed to indicate and initiatethe supply of an air flow to three intake air regions, also simplycalled regions in the vehicle, viz. a defroster region, a panel regionand a floor region. The first control device 1 and the second controldevice air are movable along the path 3 which takes the form of asubstantially arcuate section.

Three indicating positions A, B, C are marked along the extent of saidpath 3, each for its respective intake air region. These indicatingpositions A, B, C along the path 3 represent the locations of the intakeair regions in a vertical direction of the vehicle so that indicatingposition A corresponds to intake air to the defroster region, indicatingposition B corresponds to intake air to the panel region and indicatingposition C corresponds to intake air to the floor region. This enablesthe driver to understand naturally and intuitively how to operate thecontrol devices 1, 2 in order to achieve a desired distribution ofintake air to the respective regions.

Moving the two control devices 1, 2 to the upper indicating position Awill cause all the air to be directed to the defroster region of thevehicle. Correspondingly, placing the two control devices 1, air inindicating position B will cause all the intake air to be supplied tothe panel region, and placing the two control devices 1, 2 in indicatingposition C will cause all the intake air to be supplied to the floorregion.

An advantage of having two control devices 1, 2 as compared with havingonly one is that they make it possible to distribute intake air to twonon-adjacent indicating regions, thus intake air can be supplied to thedefroster region and the floor region, which is not possible with onlyone control device. Such a distribution is achieved by moving the firstcontrol device 1 to indicating position A and the second control device2 to indicating position C.

The two control devices 1, 2 can also be used to distribute the intakeair to the three intake regions in such a way that the three intake airregions simultaneously receive a certain quantity of intake air. This isachieved by placing the first control device 1 with a first distributionof the intake air between indicating positions A and B, while at thesame time placing the second control device 2 with a second distributionof the intake air between indicating positions B and C.

The distribution of the quantities of intake air between the threeintake air regions is determined by the spacing at which the controldevices 1, 2 are placed relative to the respective indicating positionsA-C. If in this case the first control device 1 is placed midway betweenindicating positions A and B, and the second control device 2 is placedmidway between indicating positions B and C, the air flow will bedistributed entirely equally between the three intake air regions.

To vary the total intake air quantity, the control unit includes a knob4 for adjusting an intake air fan. The knob 4 is arranged to rotateabout a spindle 5 about which the control devices 1, 2 are alsorotatable. The control unit thus assumes a compact form which makes iteasy for is the hand to move from the control devices 1, 2 to the knob4. Adjacent to the control unit there may also be a control device foradjusting the temperature of the intake air supplied.

Each of the first and second control devices 1, 2 exhibits a manualgripping part which incorporates a Long and narrow section 6, 7 whichextends substantially perpendicular relative to the extent of thearcuate path 3. This means that the long and narrow sections 6, 7 will,depending on their position along the path, point in a significantdirection outwards from the spindle 5. This enables a driver to use hishand to detect the direction of pointing and hence perceive how theintake air is distributed between the three intake air regions, withouthaving to shift his gaze from surrounding traffic when operating thecontrol unit on the instrument panel.

For the initiating of intake air supply to said three intake air regionsin the vehicle, each of the control devices 1, 2 is firmly arranged onits respective rotatable pulley 8 on which a cable 9 is arranged fortransmitting the rotary motion of the respective control device 1, 2 toa control arrangement which is designed to supply intake air to therespective intake air regions according to the respective setting of thecontrol devices 1, 2.

FIG. 3 depicts this control arrangement but only shows one cable 9 fortransmitting the setting of one control device 1, 2 to the controlarrangement, although each control device 1, 2 incorporates a cable 9for initiating operation of the control arrangement. Each cable 9 runsover a pulley 10 in the control arrangement for rotation of the pulley10 together with a cam device 11 coupled to the pulley. Each of thecontrol devices 1, 2 is thus designed to operate, independently of theother, its cam device 11. The cam devices 11 consist of two parallelidentical cam discs or cams which are thus each rotatable by its cable 9about a common spindle 12. Each cam device 11 incorporates external camsurfaces 13 configured with a varying cam height from the spindle 12.The cam devices 11 are each designed to act upon arms 14 A-C (eacharranged for its intake air region) in order, as the cam moves from itshighest to its lowest heights or positions to vary the setting ofdampers 15 A-C between open and closed positions. Each arm 14 A-Cincorporates a roller device or cam follower 16 A-C designed to bearupon and be acted upon by whichever of the two cam surfaces 13 of thetwo cam devices 11 displays the greater cam height in the region of theroller device 16 A-C. Each arm 14 A-C being flexibly arranged in the camheight direction and the roller devices 16 A-C incorporating a steelroller and being designed to extend across the two cam devices 11results in each roller device 16 A-C being in contact with whichever camsurface 13 of the cam devices 1, 2 exhibits the greater cam height inthe region of the roller device 16 A-C. The arms 14 A-C incorporatefirst and second end or spaced apart parts portions between which theroller devices 16 A-C are arranged. Both end portions of the arms 14 A-Care connected to the dampers 15 A-C in order to vary the latter'ssetting. The number of dampers 15 A-C is in this case two per intake airregion but may be varied depending, for example, on how many pointsintake air is supplied to in the respective region. The arms 14 A-C areeach resiliently urged towards the cam surfaces 13 of the cam devices 11by their respective spring device 17 A-C arranged between each of saidarms 14 A-C (in the vicinity of the respective roller device 16 A-C) andthe cam device's spindle 12. Air is supplied via a duct 18 to a damperhousing 19 in which the control arrangement described above is arranged.

Each control device 1 and air (see FIG. 1) is rotatable for about 120°along the arcuate path 3. This rotary motion is transmitted by the cable9 to the respective cam device 11, which is also rotatable approximately120°. The cam surface 13 of each cam device 11 exhibits three tips 13A-C distributed at mutual spacing of about 120° along the cam surface13.

When a roller device 16 A-C is situated on one of these tips 13 A-C, therespective arm 14 A-C is designed to open the respective damper 15 A-Cto the maximum extent. This takes place when the control devices 1, 2are arranged in one of the indicating positions A, B or C. When thecontrol arrangement is set as depicted in FIG. 3, roller device 16 A issituated on tip 13 A of the cam surface so that damper 15 A is fullyopen, while roller devices 16 B, C are situated along the cam surface 13where the cam height is at a minimum, so that dampers 15 B, C are fullyclosed.

If thereafter the control devices 1, 2 are together moved from thedepicted indicating position A to indicating position B, roller 16 Awill follow the cam surface 13 of the cam device 11, the cam height ofwhich will thus progressively decrease, i.e. the distance of the camsurface 13 from the cam device's spindle 12 will decrease, while at thesame time arm 14 A progressively closes damper 15 A. During thisprocess, roller device 16 B will move along the cam surface 13 of thecam device 11, the cam height of which will thus progressively increaseuntil the control devices 1, 2 have reached indicating position B, atwhich roller device 16 B is situated on cam surface tip 13 B and damper15 B is fully open. This position is indicated by chain-dotted lines inFIG. 3.

During the movement of control devices 1, 2 between indicating positionsA and B, roller device 16 C will move along a region of the cam surface13 which exhibits a constant minimum cam height so that damper 15 C isclosed throughout this process. Continuing joint movement of the controldevices 1, 2 from indicating position B to indicating position C willcause roller device 16 A to move over a cam surface 13 with a constantminimum cam height so that damper 15 A in this region is fully closed.During that movement of the control devices 1,2, roller device 16 B willmove from its maximum cam height value 13 B along a cam surface 13 witha progressively decreasing cam height until indicating position C, atwhich damper 15 B is fully closed, is reached. During said movement ofthe control devices 1,2, roller device 16 C will move along a camsurface with a progressively increasing cam height until maximum camheight is reached at position 13 C at which damper 15 C is fully open.

The intake air control described above achieved by simultaneous movementof the two control devices 1, air along a path 3 has the same effect asmoving a single controlling device according to the prior art. The factthat the present invention incorporates two control devices 1, 2 andrespective cam devices 11 coupled to them means that said control of theintake air flow to said three intake air regions takes place in such away that the intake air can be distributed to all three regionssimultaneously and with the desired distribution. The fact that eachroller device 16 A-C is flexibly arranged in the cam height directionand extends rigidly between the two cam devices 1, 2 means that therespective roller device 16 A-C will be acted upon by cam surfaces 13 ofwhichever of the two cam devices 11 exhibits the greater cam height inthe region of the respective roller device A-C.

If for example the first control device 1 is placed in indicatingposition A while the second control device 2 is placed in indicatingposition C, roller device 16 A will thus be at its maximum cam height onsurface 13 A of the first cam device 11, while roller device 16 C willbe at its maximum cam height on surface 13 C of the second cam device11. The two dampers 16 A, 16 C will therefore be open to the maximumextent. The fact that the two cam devices at indicating positions A andC exhibit their minimum cam height means that roller device 16 B willlead to damper 15 B being fully closed. The air supplied via the duct 18to the damper housing 19 will therefore be distributed equally to theintake air regions with indicating positions A and C, i.e. the defrosterregion and the floor region.

Intake air supply to all three intake air regions simultaneously isachieved by the first control device 1 being placed in the regionbetween indicating positions A and B while the second control device 2is placed in the region between indicating positions B and C. This willcause the air to be distributed to the various intake air regionssimultaneously, with the distribution to the respective intake airregions being determined by the spacing between the control devices 1, 2and the respective indicating positions A, B, C. The air is distributedequally to all three intake air regions if the first control device 1 isplaced exactly between indicating positions A and B while the secondcontrol device 2 is placed exactly between indicating positions B and C.

The invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described above butmay be varied within the scope of the patent claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus in a vehicle housing for controllingdistribution of a supply of intake air in said vehicle to separatefirst, second and third regions of said vehicle, each of said regionsincludinga duct communicating said supply of intake air to said region,a damper mounted in said duct and movable between open and closedpositions, and an arm having a first part coupled to said damper formoving it between said open and closed positions and a second partspaced from said first part, said ducts for said first, second and thirdregions comprising a first set of ducts, said apparatus comprising ahousing, first and second cams, each rotatably mounted in said housingabout a central spindle, means for rotating each of said cams, saidfirst cam having three separate cam surfaces which vary in heightrelative to its central spindle, each of said arms having at its secondpart a cam follower coupled to one of said three cam surfaces, said camsurfaces of said first cam configured to open or close the damper forany one or more of said regions, said second cam configuredsubstantially the same as said first cam and operable to drive said armscoupled to said dampers for said three regions the same as andindependently of said first cam, such that said second cam can causeopening or closing of the same or different dampers or combination ofsaid dampers as said first cam.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said cams are substantially identical in form.
 3. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said cams are rotatable about a commonspindle.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a springurging each of said cam followers into engagement with one of said camsurfaces, and where each of said arms moves an amount corresponding tothe varying height of the cam surface to which it is coupled. 5.Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said arms bears flexiblyupon one of said cam surfaces.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein either of said cams cannot close a damper when the other cam hasopened it.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of camfollowers extends across the cam surfaces of said two cams substantiallytransverse to the direction of movement of said cams.
 8. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein each of said followers comprise a rollerdevice.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle furthercomprises a second set of ducts from said supply of intake air to saidfirst, second and third regions respectively and a damper in each ductof said second set of ducts, and wherein each of said arms furthercomprises a third part spaced from said first and second parts, each ofsaid third parts coupled to said damper in one of said second set ofducts similarly as each of said first parts of each arm is coupled to adamper in a duct of said first set of ducts, whereby any of said camsurfaces causing opening of a damper in any of said first set of ductssimultaneously causes opening of the damper in the second duct to thesame region.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein at least one ofsaid second and third parts of each of said arms is connected to adamper for variable setting of said damper.
 11. Apparatus according toclaim 9 wherein said first part of each of said arms is between saidsecond and third parts.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 1 furthercomprising separate control devices respectively, each of said controldevices coupled to one of said cams to rotate said cam and to indicateits position by its amount of rotation.
 13. Apparatus according to claim12 wherein each of said control devices comprises a knob coupled to oneof said cams and rotatable about an arcuate path, and wherein each ofsaid knobs includes a gripping part that extends substantiallyperpendicular to the extent of said arcuate path.
 14. Apparatusaccording to claim 12 wherein each of said cams is rotatably mountedabout its own spindle.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein saidthree regions comprise the defroster, the panel and the floor, andwherein said first cam distributes selectively to said defroster andpanel regions, and said second cam distributes selectively to said paneland floor regions.
 16. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each ofsaid cams is configured to control the dampers in ducts for two of saidregions.
 17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said first camcontrols said dampers for said first and second regions, and said secondcam controls said dampers for said second and third regions.
 18. In avehicle housing an apparatus for controlling distribution of a supply ofintake air in said vehicle to separate first, second and third regionsof said vehicle, each of said regions includinga duct communicating saidsupply intake air to said regions, a damper mounted in said duct andmovable between open and closed position, an arm having a first partcoupled to said damper for moving said damper between its open andclosed positions and a second part spaced from said first part, saidducts for said first, second and third regions comprising a first set ofducts, the improvement comprising first and second cams, each rotatablymounted in said housing about a central spindle to vary the position ofthe damper to which it is coupled, means for rotating of said cams, saidfirst cam having three separate cam surfaces which vary in heightrelative to its central spindle, each of said arms having at its secondpart a cam follower coupled to one of said three cam surfaces, said camsurfaces of said first cam configured to open or close the damper forone or more of said regions, said second cam configured substantiallythe same as said first cam and operable to drive said aims coupled tosaid damper for said three regions the same as and independently of saidfirst cam, such that said second cam can cause opening or closing of thesame or different dampers or combination of said dampers as said firstcam.
 19. Apparatus in a vehicle housing for controlling distribution ofa supply of intake air in said vehicle to separate first, second andthird regions of said vehicle, each of said regions includinga ductcommunicating said supply of intake air to said region, a damper mountedin said duct and movable between open and closed positions, and an armhaving a first part coupled to said damper for moving it between saidopen and closed positions and a second part spaced from said first part,said apparatus comprising first and second cams mounted in said housing,each movable between its highest and its lowest positions to vary theposition of the damper to which it is coupled, means for moving each ofsaid cams between said highest and lowest positions, said first camhaving three separate cam surfaces which vary in height relative to itslowest position, each of said arms having at its second part a camfollower coupled to one of said three cam surfaces, said cam surfaces ofsaid first cam configured to open or close the damper for any one ormore of said regions, said second cam configured to drive said armscoupled to said damper for said three regions the same as andindependently of said first cam, such that said second cam can causeopening or closing of the same or different dampers or combination ofdampers or said first cam.